The Barque of Peter and the Cost of Separation
Fr. Scott Archer July 2, 2026 I have been reflecting with great sorrow upon the recent events surrounding the consecration of new bishops by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). It grieves me profoundly that they have chosen to take this drastic step into schism. It is not a moment for triumphalism, anger, or recrimination, but for mourning and earnest prayer. Every division within the Mystical Body of Christ is a tragedy, for Our Blessed Lord prayed that His disciples might be one, and unity with the Successor of St. Peter has always been the visible bond of that communion. I cannot pretend to understand the mentality that would drive them to such a place, even though I have offered the Tridentine Mass on a regular basis for longer than many of their own priests have been ordained. My love for the traditional Roman liturgy is neither recent nor superficial. I understand its beauty, its reverence, its theological richness, and the profound spiritual nourishment it has provid...